Yes, it was destined to rain on us in Nanchang. I'm so thankful for the folks who were here a few weeks ago from our agency who posted that they experienced massive rains. It helped us pack appropriately as we did check the forecast before we left and it did say it was to rain the entire time we were supposed to be here. Thank you, God, that you allowed us to have four days of sunny (or overcast) skies before they opened up and dumped on Nanchang again. So, today we did not go to the park to kill time and play OUTside. Instead, we found a department store where we circled every floor of ridiculously expensive clothes and shoes too small for us to kill an hour, then went downstairs to the Parkson Supermarket (for some reason all the supermarkets are in the basement in Asia...never have figured out why that is). We let Kathleen pick out a special treat for being so good roaming through all the five floors of the department store while Jonathan napped in the stroller. We then headed across the street to a building called "Rainbow" (another department store, but various stores on 9 levels). Our guide said there was a play area in there, but we needed to pay for each child to enter. Not a problem, the kids were getting sick of seeing the hotel lobby (our only open area to really let the kids run around some). And I'm not exactly a fan of letting my kids run around a hotel lobby. So off we went to find the play area. In looking at the store listings, Gymboree was listed on Level 8. "No way!" I said to myself. I had heard Gymboree was big in China, but I had forgotten about it once we arrived. The elevator opens to the 8th floor and there was a GYM with weights and treadmills, but no "Gymboree" for toddlers! Bummer! They must have "borrowed" the name unknowingly. So, I tried to explain to Kathleen (3, almost 4 years old) that they must have liked the name Gymboree and used it for their workout room. She asked if we could check another floor and we did. At another elevator, the listings had Gymboree on the 7th floor. I opted NOT to tell Kathleen about this. We got to the 7th floor and we began walking around the children's clothes and toys, and tucked away in a corner there it was...GYMBOREE!!! It was just like it was back home, except they served Kimmer and I espresso and the girl who spoke English let the kids come in and play for free after she found out we were here to adopt and would not be staying the entire year. (I'd love to, but we have some people who want to meet Jonathan before we decide to move overseas.) We ended up staying for about an hour and a half. It was perfect for the kids to burn some energy at a clean and safe place. What a God send that was!
Our guide ended up meeting us there as were going to see Jonathan's "finding place" (the place where he was found). This is such a moving time for adoptive parents and eventually becomes very meaningful to adopted children as they are missing pieces of their past having been abandoned. Despite the pouring rain, I trumped through the puddles and raindrops to take as many photographs as possible of the two places of meaning to Jonathan. The police station is of significance because the man who found Jonathan was an officer here. Jonathan's Chinese name Yuan Tao partly comes from the name of the police station. Yuan is part of the name of the police station. The tall building and the gates in the photos posted are of great significance as this is the location where Jonathan was found. Technically he was found at the
gate of the Women and Children's Hospital pictured. We do not know which gate; there are several. I took photos of the ones we could access. The building is very nice inside and out. Our guide said it was quite possible he was born in the hospital and then brought outside to the gate once it was discovered he had a heart issue. This we can not confirm, it is only a theory. Parents are still limited as to the number of children they can have and a child with a health or physical issue is considered a burden and sometimes culturally shameful. My eyes well up with tears as I try to wrap by mind around why or how someone could abandon a child. I am so glad God gave us the opportunity to give Jonathan and Kathleen a family to love them, a chance at a great life, physical healing, hope in Jesus and a heavenly Father who will never abandon them.
